I Am Not Generous: Free Books!

I Am Not Generous: Free Books!

Hello, hello, hello!

It has been 2 months since I posted! Oh my goodness! What is wrong with me?! I would have to write about 10 other posts to explain that, but at the rate I am going?? Let’s all be real. You may never know the truth.

Today’s post. Totally thrown together. Heartfelt, but not proofread, not well thought out. Just an effort to get out of my funk and start writing again.

So, here goes….

Generosity is not my strong point. I am an encourager, maybe sometimes even inspirational, but generous? Not so much. I am even greedy over dumb things like a vegetable plate I bring to your house. If I think there is the slightest chance you aren’t going to eat it, I am going to take it home with me. And, yes. I am the one who brings the veggie plate or the spinach balls or something dorky like that. It’s me. I will own that.

We had kids later in life, which I guess makes you some what more mature potentially? (totally debatable.) We can discuss that later. Mostly, it gave me more time to practice being really selfish. I had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do with my life and all kinds of goals I wanted to achieve, and spent very little time working on how I could be selfless, generous or even giving at all.

So, one of my goals in the New Year is to be more generous. Surely, I can be intentional about it, create a habit and potentially become a more generous person? We will see.

The other day I was listening to a sermon from the student pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington KY where I regularly listen to the Sr. Pastor, Ron Edmondson. I have never met Ron. Clearly I don’t live in Kentucky, but I love listening to him. I don’t know him at all. I have never been to his church, but I have been so blessed by listening to his preaching. (thank you technology).

Anywhoo….this was the Sunday after New Years when every pastor in America takes a break after the push of December. So, his student pastor, Scott Huff was up. And, I loved him too!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

I have heard this verse a million times, but I always have trouble being very practical with it. Realistically, I know this means to focus on God, to tell people about Jesus, and not to love my stuff too much. All that is good, but somehow it overwhelms me a bit and I get stuck.

Not today.

In the sermon, he says that the average American household has over 300,000 items. 300,000! Oh my goodness. That is a lot of stuff. And as I thought about this, I knew what I needed to do. I might have a lot of stuff, but I don’t have a lot of stuff I really care about or that I think would matter to anyone.

But I do have something (s).

I L-O-V-E books, Christian books to be more specific. I have read them voraciously since I read Not a Fan in 2013. I buy them, read them and then I put them on my shelf because they are so good and so important and I will need a quote out of them at some point. And, I will read them again.

I would never think of parting with them.

I store them up.

I treasure them.

They have taught me to love Jesus.

Maybe they could help someone else love Jesus?

Maybe I shouldn’t be storing up treasures on earth but I should be freely and generously giving them away.

They aren’t doing anyone any good on my bookshelf. They are something I am storing up as a treasure on this earth and yet, they might actually create a treasure in Heaven for someone else.

I can’t keep them. They are free to anyone who will read them. I will even ship them in the US. These aren’t the books I don’t want. These are not books I would have donated because we are moving. These are books I love and I am giving to someone else who might be blessed by reading them. (Note to all: I had to go to my bookshelf just now, as I was I was writing and pull 3 of my favorite off…because I was still trying to keep them. If you think you are a mess, we should talk.)

First come, first serve. If you want one, let me know by responding ideally on my personal facebook page.